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Mayor Hancock Appoints Scott Martinez as City Attorney, Denver Thanks City Attorney Doug Friednash for Service

Mayor Hancock Appoints Scott Martinez as City Attorney, Denver Thanks City Attorney Doug Friednash for Service

DENVER – Mayor Michael B. Hancock today appointed Scott Martinez as City Attorney for the City and County of Denver, a key position responsible for advising and representing the city on a broad range of legal and policy matters.
The Mayor also announced the departure of Doug Friednash, Denver’s City Attorney since 2011.
“During his tenure as Deputy City Attorney, Scott has proven his ability to provide the highest quality of counsel and representation to our city,” Mayor Hancock said. “I am thrilled to be able to promote from within our strong team someone with the legal acumen and passion for community that Scott brings.
“Doug has been a dedicated and valuable contributor to my administration from the earliest days,” the Mayor said. “While he will be missed, I thank him for exhibiting the kind of leadership and counsel that will carry this office forward.”
In his capacity as City Attorney, Martinez will provide legal representation to all city officials, agencies, departments, boards and commissions, as well as 200 attorneys and staff.
“I am committed to bring cutting-edge solutions to our evolving legal landscape and honored to assume such an important role,” Martinez said. “It’s a dream come true to serve as Mayor Hancock’s counsel, and I will defend the city and its people with all that I have.”
As Deputy City Attorney, Martinez managed the daily operations of one of the largest public law offices in the West. Using his knowledge of government regulatory systems to find innovative approaches to problem-solving, he forged strategic partnerships to leverage opportunities for the City and its people and worked to create a culture of inclusivity and value among City Attorney employees.
“Scott brings an innovative and energetic approach to the City Attorney’s Office that will greatly benefit the city and all its residents,” Mayor Hancock said. “This transition will be seamless because of Scott’s abilities and our efforts to grow and promote the amazing talent in this administration.”
The Mayor credits Friednash, who will join Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as a shareholder in the firm’s nationally renowned Government Relations Group, for helping Scott prepare for this assignment.
While in office, Friednash played an important role in negotiating collective bargaining agreements, streamlining the police discipline process and expanding Denver’s global reach. He also made significant improvements to the City Attorney’s Office:

Creating a modern, paperless prosecution system;

Partnering with local law schools to develop a nationally recognized fellowship program;

Reducing civil litigation payments by $1.5 million;

Improving the city’s contract process by cutting drafting time in half; and

Addressing more property crimes through an expansion of the neighborhood prosecution team.

“It has been a great honor to work for Mayor Hancock and his administration for the past two and a half years, the best job I’ve ever had,” Friednash said. “Serving in such an important role has allowed me to help shape the future of the city I call home. I look forward to building on that commitment with the new challenges that lie ahead.”
Martinez previously practiced at Holland & Hart LLP in its Government Investigations & White Collar Defense practice group, representing companies under investigation by the Department of Justice, investigatory committees of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House, and by state and local government agencies.
Martinez is active as a Member of the Board of the Colorado Bar Association, the Board of Directors of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, and the Board of Advisors to the Byron White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law at the University of Colorado.
Martinez is also active in the community, serving as an appointee to the Municipal Victim Assistance & Law Enforcement Board, on the Steering Committee for City Summit and as Chair of the Bell Policy Center. He previously served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Colorado Election Reform Commission and the Colorado Collection Agency Board.
Martinez grew up in Lakewood, Colorado. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his law degree from the University of San Diego, School of Law. Martinez and his wife, Julie, have two young sons.